Articles In 'Home Tips'

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips, Weather Safety

With hayrides, trick-or-treating, and grand feasts, fall is one of the most exciting times of the year. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the scariest and not because of Halloween. Cold temperatures, severe storms, and dare we say, snow – can stop you from enjoying leaf peeping and other fun activities. Prevent costly repairs and other unfortunate surprises at home with these nine frighteningly easy home maintenance tasks you need to complete this season! #1 – Call your HVAC magician One o... read more.

• September 28, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

Your home is one of the safest places for you, but unfortunately, it can also be one of the most dangerous. Lead, electricity, even stairs can create hazardous conditions. Thankfully, experts have created safety features to help manage dangerous areas of your home and help keep you safe.  One such safety feature is a ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI. Since GFCIs were introduced in the 1970s, electrocutions have dropped significantly, but how do you know if your GFCIs are working properly? Bre... read more.

• August 26, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

Americans generally spend 90 percent of their time indoors, where pollutants can be as much as five times higher than the great outdoors. Carpeting has volatile organic compounds that give off a gas, and even your shower curtain has hazardous air pollutants. Your home may also have radon and carbon monoxide, and both are dangerous to your health. Keep your indoor living environment healthy and your air fresh with these simple indoor air quality tips! #1 – Find out how healthy (or unhealthy) you... read more.

• August 05, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

There’s no place like home, but you don’t always want to stay there. Sometimes, you need to get away. Unfortunately, when you’re not home, others may want to crash at your place – or crash through your back window. So how can you protect your home and make sure your snow globe collection remains intact?   Here are 10 essential home security tips to help keep your home safe this summer (and during every getaway). #1 – Turn off your lights (and then turn them back on) On... read more.

• July 22, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

Summer is a time for lazy, hazy, crazy days, but it’s also a time for damaging storms and sweltering heat. Like you need sunscreen and ponchos, your home needs protection from the harsh elements. That’s why we put together these top tips to help ready your home for the unpredictable and potentially rough summer weather. Tip #1 – Clean gutters and downspouts ? Winter weather may have damaged your gutters, and the pollen and blossoms of spring (particularly if you have a lot of tree... read more.

• June 24, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

If you witness any of these warning signs, your home needs an electrical security check pronto! Electricity is essential to modern life, but it can also be dangerous! Burns, shocks, and other hazards can occur, especially in older appliances and homes. That’s why it’s imperative to keep your home’s systems up to date, but unlike your plumbing system, which needs an annual inspection, electrical checkups are needed the moment an issue occurs. Here are a few warning signs that tell you it&... read more.

• June 09, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

It’s National Barbecue Month! Stay safe this month and all summer long with the help of these top outdoor grilling safety tips! May is National Barbecue Month, which means it’s time to fire up the grill! Unfortunately, with a homemade char-grilled burger also comes danger. The National Fire Protection Association reports that approximately 8,900 home fires are caused by grills each year, and on average, more than 19,000 people end up in the emergency room each year with grill-related injur... read more.

• May 25, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

Your spring-cleaning list is not complete until you’ve cleaned out your dryer exhaust vent. You routinely clean out your dryer’s lint trap (after every cycle, right?), but unfortunately, that’s not enough. Each year, more than 2,900 clothes dryer fires lead to an average of 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and more than $35 million in property loss. Many of these fires occur because excess lint ignites in the unit’s exhaust vent (the aluminum hose that stretches from the back of t... read more.

• April 14, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

Before April showers and May flowers arrive, get your property and home’s exterior ready with these spring home maintenance tips! After the long, harsh winter, spring is finally here! The comfortable temperatures and longer days make it a great time to tackle issues with your property and your home’s exterior. In between April showers and May flowers, prepare your home with our spring home maintenance checklist! Soak up all the sunlight!  Clean windows mean more natural light in your ho... read more.

• April 04, 2022

By Franklin Mutual Insurance, Posted in Home Tips

The average water damage claim is more than $10,000! Save your home the expense (and save yourself the frustration) with the help of braided metal hoses. Homeownership can be difficult, but some quick home improvements can potentially save you thousands of dollars. Adding motion sensors, digital locks, and a camera can help to prevent a burglary, but when it comes to water damage, you need braided metal hoses.  Don’t believe us? Here are the top five reasons why braided metal hoses should be i... read more.

• March 07, 2022